Brake shoe key



Nov. 8, 1932. A. PRENTICE 1,886,734

BRAKE SHOE KEY Filed Oct. 16. 1951 1% Me 72 f0 7" XWMW Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALLAN L. PBENTICE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN BRAKE SHOE AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE BRAKE SHOE KEY Application filed October 16, 1931. Serial No. 569,199.

7 This invention relates to improvements in brake shoe keys and it has for its primary object to provide a key which will hold a new or an old shoe tightly and securely to a new or an old head and thereby reduce the rate of wear of the head by the shoe and thereby prolon the life of the head.

Y Anot or object of the invention is to secure the key tightly in the shoe and head and thereby reduce the wear on the key and prolong its life.

Still another object of the inventionis to prolong the life of the shoe by providing a novel ke which will hold the shoe tlghtly in a pre etermined position on the headand avoid ununiform wear of the shoe.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a key which will not fall out of place when a car is turned upside .down in car dumpers; which will prevent the loss of a shoe from its head; which will tend to prevent the failure of a shoe byliiflding it in a snug fit in theehead fan'd which will prevent /thc sh oe from chattering in its head. 95 And a further object of the invention is to provide a positive lock for the key at various stages of wear of the head so that it will not become accidentall dislodged from engagement with the hea and shoe.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating selected embodiments of the invention Fig. 1 shows a key of my invention securing a shoe in a head, parts of the shoe and head being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the key.

Fi 3 is a reduced perspective view of the key own in Figs. 1 and 2. a Fig. 4 shows a modified form of the key.

Referring to the drawing, 5 is a head having lugs 6, 7 and toes 8, 9; and 10 is a shoe having an attaching In 11 and end lugs 12, 13. The lugs 6 and 7 o the head have openings 6, 7 and the attaching lug 11 has an opening 11' which form a keyway to receive the key 14. The key is made of fiat spring steel of proper length rnd width to fit the head and shoe and of suflicient thickness to rovide the necessary strength. The key,

Fig. 3, has a straight upper section 15, a long bend or riser 16, a short bend or riser 17, a

straight lower section 18, and a plurality of notches 19 at its lower end. The bend 16 is directed rearwardl and the bend 17 is'directed forwardly o the key and when the key is properly inserted in the head and shoe, as shown in Fig. 1, the bend 16 will bear against the top wall of the opening 11 in the attaching lug 11 of the shoe and the bend 17 will bear against the top wall of the opening 7 in the lower lug 7 of the head. The shoulder 20 where the straight section 15 joins the bend 16 constitutes, in efiect, another bend which bears against the top wall of the opening 6 in the head lug 6. The key is placed under tension when it is driven into en agement with the head and shoe and bears tig tly at 16, 17 and 20 against the lugs 11,7 and 6, respectively, to hold the shoe snugly and tightly in the head. The upper straight section 15 of the key projects between the toes 8 of the head and bears against the upper end of the head at 21, being slightly bent and under tension. The lower straight section 18 of the key projects between the toes 9 of the head and bears against the bottom of the head at 22, being slightly bent and under tension. The key has a sinuous form of reversely bent portions and when it is in working position it has a three-point bearing in the head and shoe under suflicient tenslon to secure the shoe tightly to the head. I provide a plurality of notches 19 in the back of the key so that there will always be a notch to engage the head at 22 when the parts are new, when they are partly worn and when theyare badly worn, so that under all of these conditions the key will be locked in engagement with the head and shoe and will be prevented from falling out of place when the car is turned upside down on a car dumper. The modified form of 90 key shown in Fig. 4 has two forward bends 23, 24 and an intermediate rearward bend 25 but is otherwise made substantially like the key of Fig. 3. This key will function in a head and shoe in substantially the same manner as the key of Fig. 3.

My invention provides a spring steel key of novel construction which is adapted to be inserted in the usual manner but to engage the head and the shoe under suflicient tension under all ordinary conditions of service to securely and tightly hold the shoe in the head with the key locked in engagement with the head against accidental displacement. I have shown the invention in selected embodiments but it may be necessary to change the form and construction of parts to adapt the invention for heads and shoes of other construction and I reserve the right to make all such changes within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a brake shoe head and a brake shoe having interfitting attach ing lugs provided with alined openings, of a key for securing the shoe snugly on the head and comprising a spring steel bar arranged in said openings and having at least two reversely bent portions between its ends to form bearings which engage the attaching lugs and place the key under tension in said lugs with the end portions of the key bearing against the head.

2. The combination with a brake shoe head and a brake shoe having interfitting attaching lugs provided with alined openings, of a key for securing the shoe snugly on the head and comprising a spring steel bar having a rearward bend engaging the attaching lug on the shoe and forward bends engaging the attaching lugs on the head, said bends forming bearings in which place the key under tension in said lugs and cause'the end portions of the key to engage the head.

3. The combination with a brake shoe head and a brake shoe having interfitting attaching lugs provided with alined openings, of a key for securing the shoe snugly on the head and comprising a spring steel bar arranged in said openings and having at least two reversely bent portions between its ends to form bearings and a plurality of notches at its lower end, said bearings engaging the attaching lugs and placing the key under tension therein and causing the end portions of the key to bear against the head, and said notches being arranged for selective engagement with y the head for retaining the key in place.

ALLAN L. PRENTICE.

c CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Batent Noa 1386,7514. I November 8, 1952(! ALLAN L. PRENTICEQ It'is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2,, line 52, claim 2, strike out the word "in"; and that the said. Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the 7 case 'in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of April, A. D. 1958.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

